Hasta La Ideas

Over the past decade a succession of architects have designed holiday homes among the fisherman’s huts in the shadow of a nuclear power station on Dungeness beach, Kent. Here are seven of the most interesting.

Black Rubber Beach House by Simon Conder Associates, 2003

Simon Conder Associates wrapped a fisherman’s hut built in the the 1930s with rubber to create the Black Rubber Beach House on Dungeness’s shingle beach. The studio also rebuilt all of the building’s walls from spruce plywood and placed a bathroom in a room that cantilevers over the beach.

According to architect Simon Conder, the house “shows that it is possible to design a building in the context of the bodged ‘squatter architecture’ that typifies Dungeness beach”.

Shingle House by NORD Architecture, 2010

NORD Architecture‘s Shingle House was the second holiday home built as part of Alain de Botton’s Living Architecture project, following the Balancing Barn by MVRDV and Mole Architects.

The rental property, which can sleep eight people, is clad in tarred black shingles with interiors complete with white-painted wooden panels.

El Ray by Simon Conder Associates, 2013

The El Ray beach house is built around a 19th-century railway carriage, which the family that own the property used to live in.

The railway carriage now contains the house’s kitchen and sits at the centre of the main living space within the timber building.

Pobble House by Guy Hollaway, 2014

Named after the Kentish word for pebble, Pobble House is a single-storey holiday home made up of three blocks that roughly replaces the building that was there before it. The three adjoining cabins are clad in a combination of larch boards, cement fibreboard and Corten steel mesh.

“Pobble House forms a beautifully crafted home which seeks to continue Dungeness’s curious architectural legacy,” said architect Guy Hollaway.

North Vat by Rodić Davidson Architects, 2016

North Vat replaced an old fisherman’s cottage on the shingle  beach. The two-storey holiday home is made up of three black, blocks clad in stained larch that are connected by a glass corridor.

Rodić Davidson Architects designed the house to reference the beach’s fishing huts but “break away from [their] conventional layout and form”.

Pump Station by Johnson Naylor, 2018

Interior architecture studio Johnson Naylor converted a pumping station that was built during world war two to send fuel to France via undersea pipes into a two-bedroom holiday home.

“Dungeness is architecturally rich with a diverse collection of architectural styles so retaining the exterior treatment and pragmatic quality of the building was important,” stated the architects. “Working with, rather than against, a building is the secret to a successful project.”

Radar Station by London studios MS-DA and Johnson Naylor, 2019

This small holiday home takes its name from a pair of 1960s sheds, which were built to test radar equipment, that the current building replaced.

The new house has a interior clad with pale wood panelling and large windows that frame views across the shingle beach.

The post Seven unique homes on Dungeness beach appeared first on Dezeen.

This week on Dezeen, automotive giants took their futuristic concept cars for a spin at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Mercedes-Benz took the sci-fi route, unveiling a vehicle inspired by the world of James Cameron’s Avatar movie, in which nature and technology co-exist in harmony.

Made to resemble a living creature, the Vision AVTR has scales on its back that can convey vital information about its surroundings to the driver, while the car’s front and rear axles allow it to move sideways “like a crab”.

Meanwhile Hyundai and Uber unveiled a concept for a flying car and air-taxi service that could alleviate congestion in our cities, and electronics company Sony made its inaugural venture into car design with a prototype for a driverless electric vehicle.

Beyond concept cars, CES also played host to a range of technologies aimed at improving domestic life, including a bin that seals and changes its own rubbish bags, as well as an AI-powered robot called Ballie.

Inspired by the BB-8 android in the Star Wars movies, this “personal assistant” is capable of rolling around the house and fulfilling everyday tasks like waking up its owner or helping them work out.

Danish architecture studio BIG took CES as an opportunity to unveil its design for a prototype city of the future, which is set to start construction near Mount Fuji in Japan in 2021.

The 70-hectare Woven City development will be tested by 2,000 pioneer residents and include smart homes, robotics and Toyota autonomous vehicles, all synchronised through data and sensors to “power human connectivity”.

Elsewhere, BIG also unveiled its masterplan for a redevelopment of Downtown Brooklyn, whose public space is set to be given a colourful overhauled with the help of new and improved sidewalks, sculptural street furniture and plenty of greenery.

In other news, more than 100 Australian architects have responded to the country’s bush fire crisis by offering their design services pro-bono to those who have been affected.

With almost 2,000 homes damaged in the blaze, the initiative hopes to help people “rebuild their lives” and replace what was lost to the flames.

Over in the US, Virgin Trains announced that construction is expected to commence on its high-speed rail service this year, connecting Southern California with Las Vegas in Nevada.

If approved by the US Federal Railroad Administration, the fully electric Brightline will transport passengers between the two states in less than 90 minutes.

In New York, construction is set to restart on Santiago Calatrava’s Greek Orthodox Church after a two-year money-related hiatus, with an opening date estimated for September 2021.

Located at site of the World Trade Center, the development will replace a church that was destroyed by the buildings’ collapse on 9/11.

In interiors, Dezeen columnist Michelle Ogundehin looked ahead to predict the trends that will dominate 2020, from a return to monochrome to plus-size soft furnishings and the rise and rise of sustainable design.

Among the other most-read stories this week was a garden room with translucent white walls, IBM’s more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries and an architectural concept for a Cyberhouse to compliment Tesla’s controversial Cybertruck.

The post This week, carmakers envisioned the future of transport at CES appeared first on Dezeen.

South Korean designer Shinkyu Shon created this furniture collection using split pine logs and stainless steel to highlight the differences between traditional Korean and more modern western materials.

The Seoul-based designer developed the Split series as an artistic expression of the changes that took place in Korean culture during the Joseon period.

“We had cherished our own distinctive and gorgeous Korean beauty until the Joseon dynasty,” Shon explained, referring to the kingdom that ruled Korea from the 14th to 19th century.

“However, through the period of unstable Japanese colonial rule [between 1910 and 1945], somewhat radical western influences were prevalent and thus, there have been some occasions of a lack of balance in culture.”

According to Shon, the isolationist policy adopted by the regent Heungseon Daewongun during the latter part of the 19th century prevented Korea from adopting aspects of western culture.

His furniture project is an attempt to express what he described as the current “misaligned coexistence” of Korean and western ideologies in his home nation.

The objects feature pine logs or blocks that evoke the timber used to build traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

These natural wooden elements contrast with rigidly geometric frames made from standard sheets of mirror-finished stainless steel.

“The reason to contrast and divide the two materials of wood and mirror stainless steel in this work is not to simply acquire aesthetic beauty but to fuse the distinctive features of each material,” said Shon.

The designer explained that the pine wood was chosen to “represent the natural beauty of curves found in traditional Korean housing”, while the metal structures “express the western beauty of being straightforward and manmade”.

The irregularly shaped logs and geometric sawn blocks intersect with the steel structures, creating supports for the benches or storage space in the shelving units.

The mirrored surfaces reflect the natural wood, as well as the surroundings. As such, the materials work together to ensure the wood remains the main focal point.

Shon photographed the furniture at a palace called Unhyeongung, which is the former residence of Heungseon Daewongun. The images reinforce the narrative behind the project by highlighting the contrast between the traditional and modern components.

Last year, design practice Space Popular used the gate of a historic palace in Seoul to frame a video installation called Gate of Bright Lights.

The installation shows a digitally rendered wooden door opening to reveal a variety of scenes from South Korea’s past and present.

The post Shinkyu Shon’s Split furniture contrasts wooden logs with mirrored steel appeared first on Dezeen.

US reporter Bridget Cogley has rounded up eight homes in Montreal with interiors that make the most of a monochrome palette – highlighted by Michelle Ogundehin as a key trend for 2020.

Maison du Parc by La Shed Architecture

A white staircase leads down to a wine cellar, which is concealed behind frosted glass walls, in the basement of this three-storey residence.

La Shed Architecture redesigned the home by pairing contemporary design with more traditional elements, and also added an outdoor swimming pool.

Find out more about Maison du Parc ›

Saint Laurent Apartment by Atelier Barda

All of the homes in this roundup are by local architects and interior designers, including this project by Atelier Barda – a studio co-founded by French architects Antonio Di Bacco and Cécile Combelle.

The apartment is in the city’s trendy Mile End neighbourhood and comprises black cabinetry, white walls, white marble, and light wood and caramel leather furniture.

Find out more about Saint Laurent Apartment ›

De La Roche Residence by Naturehumaine

Naturehumaine has completed many house renovations in Montreal, including De la Roche Residence.

Led by Stéphane Rasselet, the studio extended the brick home to create a larger living room and an elevated master bedroom. Sliding glass doors provide access to a new deck for more space for entertaining.

Find out more about De La Roche Residence ›

Elmwood Residence by Michael Godmer

Elmwood Residence is a two-storey townhouse in Montreal’s Outremont neighbourhood, with black-and-white interiors that fuse existing woodwork and modern decor.

Michael Godmer renovated the home for his clients, who had been living there for over 20 years, after first overhauling their holiday home outside the city.

Find out more about Elmwood Residence ›

IN 2 by Jean Verville

Canadian architect Jean Verville has designed a number of contemporary homes modelled on optical illusions, such as this apartment with stark white floors and black walls.

The project tricks the eye in almost every room, and was created for a couple who loves contemporary art, theatre and dance.

Find out more about IN 2 ›

Bessborough Residence by Naturehumaine

Another project by Naturehumaine is this two-storey home in Montreal’s West End area featuring a staircase with a black rod balustrade that doubles as a room divider.

“This volume plays on its transparency by using a rhythm between full and empty, with variations of glass, steel rods and medium-density fibreboard panels,” the studio said.

Find out more about Bessborough Residence ›

Du Rocher Residence by Appareil Architecture

Du Rocher Residence is a renovated, mid-century home also in the city’s Outremont neighbourhood by Appareil Architecture.

The project employs the stripped-back palette to updates the rooms while still honouring the building’s modernist charm, including its linear form and stone details.

Find out more about Du Rocher Residence ›

Hampstead House by Robitaille Curtis

A feature of Hampstead House is its kitchen with soft grey cabinets and white marble counters, for a monochrome feel that does not feel too stark.

Robitaille Curtis, which was founded by a local landscape architect and an American architect, overhauled the property for a young doctor and his family.

Find out more about Hampstead House ›

The post Eight Montreal homes updated with greyscale interiors appeared first on Dezeen.

After screening at theaters and museums last year, Tom Sachs’ 30-minute film How to Learn How to Surf premieres online today. The American artist ventured to Bali with his team with the mission to become “OK surfers,” and documented the process. Based around 10 bullet points, the surfing essentials (according to the Sachs team) are explored: from “Be afraid, be sort of afraid,” to “Fail with joy,” and “Persistence.” As expected from the contemporary artist, the resulting film—directed by Van Neistat—is part art piece and part documentary; altogether odd, earnest and endearing. Watch it on Vimeo now.